Erie County Executive Praises Inclusion of Needed Infrastructure Funding

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz issued the following statement regarding the 2016-17 New York State Budget agreement reached yesterday in Albany. Among other items, the agreement includes a raise in the minimum wage, increased school aid funding and over $55 billion in transportation investments statewide. Approximately half of that amount will be used for NYS Department of Transportation and NYS Thruway projects, with the remainder designated for MTA work.

Poloncarz statement: “This Budget agreement puts a special focus on working New Yorkers and provides wisely allocated resources to help them succeed. The proposal to provide $27 billion for infrastructure work around the state is welcome news, as many municipalities were concerned about statewide parity in infrastructure funding. It is encouraging to note that this funding will also include monies to create the Extreme Weather Infrastructure Hardening Program to build resiliency on roadways that are susceptible to harsh weather events, something we are used to in Erie County. Additionally, the agreement provides a needed boost in the minimum wage, and as we’ve seen in the past such increases help hard-working men and women better provide for their families without detrimentally impacting the economy. This is the perfect time to pass such an increase, and I commend Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie, and Leaders Klein and Flanagan for their efforts to craft a budget that makes prudent investments for all New York residents.”